The federal election has lobbyists preparing for a significant reset in Ottawa that hasn’t been seen in about a decade, combined with parties considering major policy shifts in areas such as trade, transportation and energy because of shifting dynamics in the U.S., says the president of the Government Relations Institute of Canada.
“Given this environment, lobbyists will have been actively engaging with both government and opposition members ahead of the election,” said Hunter Doubt, who is also Expedia Group’s manager of government and corporate affairs, in an emailed statement on March 19. “Additionally, many lobbyists will have submitted proposals to party headquarters, hoping to influence their respective platforms.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney was sworn in on March 14, with a spring federal election hotly anticipated. He was expected to ask Gov.-Gen. Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and call an election on March 23. The possible election date will either be April 28 or May 5, CBC News reported. Parliament had been prorogued for two months following the resignation announcement of former prime minister Justin Trudeau on Jan. 6.
Doubt said that, given the long prorogation period, the goal for lobbyists in the run-up to the election is to educate key decision-makers on their priorities so they can effectively advocate for those interests post-election, and hit the ground running.
Christian von Donat, vice-president of government relations and strategy with Impact Public Affairs, said the election will be a learning experience for many lobbyists who were not active in the political sphere the last time there was a change in federal government. The Liberals have held power in Ottawa since 2015.
“For those of us who worked on the Hill during the previous [Conservative] government … it’s a bit easier to navigate that change, knowing how things had been then and expecting that if the Conservatives win the election we will see some of those decisions return in how the business of government works,” said von Donat in an emailed statement on Feb. 25. “Some of the biggest change will be the hundreds and hundreds of political staff changes within ministers’ offices and government that will take a bit of time to unpack and navigate who to contact on key issues—even just the logistics of getting phones, laptops, offices, and email addresses set up for all new staff.”
Susan Smith, a principal and co-founder at Bluesky Strategy Group, said that lobby firms have been preparing for months for a federal election, making sure that they have “the right people with the freshest networks.”
“With [U.S. President Donald] Trump, tariffs, the election of Mark Carney as Liberal leader and the swing in the polls, the outcome of a (now spring) election isn’t a done deal. We could be looking at a minority of either red or blue stripe,” she said in an emailed statement on March 11.
Besides the federal election, lobbyists have also been long-anticipating an update to the Lobbying Act, which hasn’t been reviewed since 2012. The House Ethics Committee is mandated to review the act every five years, but did not do so in 2017 and 2022.
NDP MP Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, Ont.), his party’s ethics critic, said during a committee meeting on April 16, 2024 that he intended to bring forward a motion at a later time to initiate a review, but has not yet done so.
Doubt said that the Government Relations Institute of Canada is prepared for a review of the act, should that become a priority for the government.
“Our first priority is to ensure that the rules governing our profession do not impede or discourage the legitimate and extremely important work of advocacy at the federal level. We will always advocate for clear, common sense reforms that reinforce transparency and open access to government,” he said in the email.
Smith argued that the largest ongoing issue with the Lobbying Act is the five-year post-employment lobbying ban for staff who have worked on the Hill. She argued that a two-year ban would be more reasonable.
“Five years is overreach and career limiting for young people who, for the most part, make up staff on the Hill. In no other country do the restrictions go so far,” she said in her email. “It’s ridiculous and should be challenged in a court case. The question is, who has the courage to challenge it and put a bull’s-eye on their back? It’s a highly regulated industry with rule-abiding practitioners.”
Duff Conacher, the co-founder of Democracy Watch, called a review of the act long overdue. Rather than outright reducing the length of time on the lobbying ban, he argued the ban length should be proportioned to the types of relationships former staffers have on the Hill, and the appearance of a potential conflict of interest. Conacher argued that a longer ban makes sense for “top people,” such as former staffers with a close relationship with the current prime minister.
“If you leave and the prime minister is still the same person, you should have to sit out until that prime minister is out of office, because you’re a good friend of theirs, and you would be able to market yourself as, ‘I go to this guy’s birthday parties. Hire me. I’m a gatekeeper who can get you in the door,’” he said. “But if you’re a backbench MP who doesn’t know anybody, sits on no committees, has just voted in the House the way you’ve been told to vote, then you don’t really have any conflicts of interest.”
Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger released a list of 11 recommendations for possible changes to the act in February 2021. Over the years, Bélanger has repeatedly said she is interested in eliminating the act’s “20 per cent rule,” which allows businesses and organizations to forgo registering if a person’s lobbying activities do not represent 20 per cent or more of the duties of a single, full-time employee. Her recommendation is to replace the rule with a simpler requirement that all lobbying activities should be registered by default, unless an exemption is granted.
Conacher said he agrees with removing the 20 per cent rule, which he considers to be a loophole to allow for secret, unregistered lobbying.
“Close all the loopholes that allow for secret lobbying, because if you don’t close those, lobbying is allowed, but also unethical lobbying because the lobbyist code only applies to lobbyists who are required to register,” he said.
Gordon Taylor Lee, managing partner at National Public Relations, told The Hill Times in an emailed statement on March 13 that if lobbyists “have been too focused on the current Liberal government in recent years, it’s likely at the peril of their key requests and recommendations.”
Lobbyists have been shifting their approach, targets, and tactics over the last few years, said Taylor Lee, “not just because of poll numbers and the rise of the Conservatives since 2023, but also because organizations need to incorporate digital into their public affairs campaigns.”
“So-called ‘access lobbying’ is a failing strategy and organizations need to deploy a more comprehensive ‘360’ type approach when trying to engage different levels of the government and every party,” he added.
As for the review of the Lobbying Act, Taylor Lee told The Hill Times that “an overhaul is likely not required but, like any legislation, it should be modernized where necessary and somewhat ‘evergreen’ in nature.”
Kyle Larkin, executive director at the Grain Growers of Canada and vice-president for the Public Affairs Association of Canada (PAAC), told The Hill Times in a Feb. 12 email that lobbyists are already providing their key recommendations to the Conservative and Liberal parties.
“The intention is to ensure that key issues will be addressed by whomever wins the next election,” said Larkin.
“Lobbyists are also exploring third-party registration with Elections Canada to ensure that they are complying with the rules should they be advertising on their issues during the election,” he added.
Larkin also shared how Grain Growers of Canada is getting ready for a potential early general election.
“Grain Growers of Canada is preparing a campaign website which will be a one-stop-shop for grain farmers, political parties, the media and the public,” he said. “This website will include information on where the various political parties stand on key issues impacting grain farmers and will also include a click and send campaign for producers to send letters to their local candidates to raise awareness on the work needed to support the sector.”
As for whether the Lobbying Act needs to be reviewed, Larkin said, “The Public Affairs Association of Canada has significant concerns that the Lobbying Act hasn’t been reviewed. There continue to be major issues that impact lobbyists daily.”
“For example, Canada continues to lead with the largest lobbying ban in the world, which prevents many qualified professionals from becoming involved in the sector,” he added. “While we do support cooling-off periods, they must be an appropriate length that would both allow for non-conflict but also allow former officials to work in government relations.”
jcnockaert@hilltimes.com
sslipchenko@lobbymonitor.ca
The Hill Times
Top 100 Lobbyists 2025
The Hill Times and The Lobby Monitor gathered input for this year’s list by reaching out to more than 30 lobbyists, including in-house representatives and consultants.
The list is not a popularity contest, but is intended to showcase prominent lobbyists at the federal level based on their reputation and perceived effectiveness as judged by their peers. This list was compiled by The Hill Times reporter Jesse Cnockaert and Lobby Monitor deputy editor Sergiy Slipchenko, and is organized alphabetically by the lobbyist’s last name.
| Lobbyist | Title | Organization |
| Andre Albinati | Principal | Earnscliffe Strategy Group |
| Alik Angaladian | Principal | Maple Leaf Strategies |
| Ashton Arsenault | Partner | Crestview Strategy |
| Jennifer Babcock | Senior director, government and public affairs | Canadian Cattle Association |
| Lisa Baiton | President and CEO | Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers |
| Tim Barber | Principal and co-founder | Bluesky Strategy Group |
| Mirko Bibic | President and CEO | BCE Inc. and Bell Canada |
| Drew Black | CEO | Egg Farmers of Canada |
| Kevin Bosch | Managing partner and co-founder | Sandstone Group |
| Stephen Brown | CEO | National Council of Canadian Muslims |
| Bea Bruske | President | Canadian Labour Congress |
| Tabatha Bull | President and CEO | Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business |
| Dave Carey | Vice-president, government and industry relations | Canadian Canola Growers Association |
| Mary Anne Carter | Principal | Earnscliffe Strategy Group |
| Philip Cartwright | Senior vice-president | Global Public Affairs |
| Sean Casey | Managing director | PAA Advisory |
| George Christidis | Acting president and CEO | Canadian Nuclear Association |
| Gary Clement | Director, government relations | TD Bank Group |
| Catherine Cobden | President and CEO | Canadian Steel Producers Association |
| David Cooper | Vice-president, government relations | Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs |
| Dennis Darby | President and CEO | Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters |
| John Delacourt | Senior vice-president | Counsel Public Affairs |
| Joanne Dobson | Senior director, government relations (federal and Ontario) | Air Canada |
| Matthew Don Trapp | Director of Government Relations | Fertilizer Canada |
| Lindsay Doyle | Director of public policy (Canada) | Netflix |
| Kristina Farrell | CEO | Food and Beverage Canada |
| Deborah Flint | President and CEO | Greater Toronto Airports Authority |
| Marlene Floyd | Senior national director, corporate affairs | Microsoft Canada |
| Robert Ghiz | President and CEO | Canadian Telecommunications Association |
| Rodrigue Gilbert | President | Canadian Construction Association |
| Jacob Glick | Head of Public Policy (Canada) | Amazon |
| Sarah Goldfeder | Executive director, government relations and corporate affairs | General Motors of Canada |
| Pierre Gratton | President and CEO | Mining Association of Canada |
| Tim Gray | Executive director | Environmental Defence |
| Elizabeth Gray-Smith | Lead strategist | Gray Smith Communications |
| Bettina Hamelin | President | Innovative Medicines Canada |
| Dylan Hanley | Executive vice-president | U15 Canada |
| Kate Harrison | Vice-chair and partner | Summa Strategies |
| Bruce Hartley | Senior partner | Prospectus Associates |
| Michael Harvey | Executive director | Canadian AgriFood Trade alliance (CAFTA) |
| Katie Heelis | Senior vice-president and health practice lead | Enterprise Canada |
| Goldy Hyder | President and CEO | Business Council of Canada |
| Dan Kelly | President, CEO, and chair | Canadian Federation of Independent Business |
| Lauren Kennedy | Director, public affairs and communications | Chicken Farmers of Canada |
| Jason Kerr | Managing director, government relations | Canadian Automobile Association |
| Brian Kingston | President and CEO | Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association |
| Lisa Kirbie | Founder and CEO | Blackbird Strategies |
| James Kusie | Vice president, public and government affairs | Imperial Oil |
| Candace Laing | President and CEO | Canadian Chamber of Commerce |
| Éric Lamoureux | Managing partner | PAA Advisory | Conseils |
| Kyle Larkin | Executive Director | Grain Growers of Canada |
| Jacquie LaRocque | Principal and CEO | Compass Rose Group |
| Jacques Lefebvre | CEO | Dairy Farmers of Canada |
| Rob LeForte | President | First Lake Solutions |
| Greg MacEachern | Principal | KAN Strategies |
| Robin MacLachlan | President | Summa Strategies |
| Dan Mader | Partner | Loyalist Public Affairs |
| Elise Maheu | Head of government affairs (United States and Canada) | 3M Canada |
| Monica Masciantonio | Vice-president, government affairs | Scotiabank |
| Joseph Mayer | Executive vice-president, advocacy and engagement | Canadian Medical Association |
| Devin McCarthy | Partner and federal practice lead | Sussex Strategy Group |
| Cate McCready | Vice-president of external affairs | BIOTECanada |
| Gordon McKenzie | President and CEO | Canpotex |
| Greg Moffatt | President and CEO | Chemistry Industry Association of Canada |
| Nick Moore | Director of federal government relations | Telus Corp. |
| Don Moors | President | Temple Scott Associates |
| Michael Mueller | President and CEO | Aerospace Industries Association of Canada |
| Janice Myers | CEO | Canadian Real Estate Association |
| Brigitte Nolet | President and CEO | Roche Canada Pharmaceuticals |
| Ben Parsons | Vice-President of federal advocacy | Counsel Public Affairs |
| Derek Nighbor | President and CEO | Forest Products Association of Canada |
| Jeanette Patell | Director of government affairs and public policy (Canada) | Google Canada |
| John Penner | Principal | StrategyCorp |
| Azin Peyrow | Senior director of public affairs | NATIONAL Public Relations |
| Beth Potter | President and CEO | Tourism Industry Association |
| Alex Pourbaix | Executive chair of the board | Cenovus Energy |
| David Pratt | Principal | David Pratt and Associates |
| Pierre Pyun | Vice-president, government affairs | Bombardier |
| Gordon Quaiattini | Partner | Maple Leaf Strategies |
| Naresh Raghubeer | Managing partner and co-founder | Sandstone Group |
| Cyrus Reporter | Partner | Gowling WLG |
| Mark Resnick | Managing director | McMillan Vantage Policy Group |
| Tim Richter | President and CEO | Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness |
| Chad Rogers | Partner | Crestview Strategy |
| Carole Saab | CEO | Federation of Canadian Municipalities |
| Andrea Sarkic | Lead public affairs counsellor | Compass Rose Group |
| Conrad Sauvé | President and CEO | Canadian Red Cross |
| Jesse Shea | Director, public affairs | Enterprise Canada |
| Jennifer Sloan | Senior vice-president of public policy and stakeholder engagement | Mastercard |
| Susan Smith | Principal and co-founder | Bluesky Strategy Group |
| Andrew Steele | Vice-president | StrategyCorp |
| Leslie Swartman | Senior director, government and public affairs | MDA |
| Alexandre Synnett | Senior vice-president & BU leader NCR-Ottawa | CGI Inc. |
| Adam Taylor | Partner and co-founder | NorthStar Public Affairs |
| Gordon Taylor Lee | Managing partner | NATIONAL Public Relations |
| Flavio Volpe | President | Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association |
| Frank Voss | President | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada |
| Joelle Walker | Vice-president, public and professional affairs | Canadian Pharmacists Association |
| George Wamala | Director, regulatory and government affairs | RBC |
| Huw Williams | President | Impact Public Affairs |
Most Lobbied Cabinet Ministers (January 2024 to March 19, 2025)
| Cabinet minister | Communication reports |
| Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne (former innovation minister) | 205 |
| Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland (former finance minister and deputy prime minister) | 157 |
| Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson | 156 |
| Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development Kody Blois | 117 |
| Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Anita Anand (former transport and internal trade minister) | 115 |
| Minister of Jobs and Families Steve MacKinnon (former employment minister, labour minister and government House leader) | 114 |
| Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity Steven Guilbeault (former environment minister) | 109 |
| Minister of Environment and Climate Change Terry Duguid (former sport minister and minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada) | 91 |
| Minister of National Defence Bill Blair | 67 |
| Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Nate Erskine-Smith | 57 |
| Chief Government Whip Rechie Valdez (former small business minister) | 53 |
| Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Democratic Institutions Arielle Kayabaga | 53 |
The above table shows the members of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet who were listed the most in communication reports between Jan. 1, 2024 and March 19, 2025. Information courtesy of the Federal Lobbyists’ Registry.
Lobbying Stats: as of March 19, 2025
•Total active lobbyists: 7,154
•Most popular subject matter in 2024: Environment, appearing in 7,125 reports, followed by Economic Development with 6,911 reports, and Industry with 5,881 reports.
•Most popular subject matter for January to February, 2025: Economic Development with 1,072 reports, followed by International Trade with 981, and Industry with 848.
•Two organizations so far have filed reports listing communication with Prime Minister Mark Carney. “Cindy Gates-Dee and the Dee family,” represented on the file by Christopher Karas, a principal with Karas Legal Services, communicated with Carney on March 10. Gates-Dee and family are fighting for changes to organ and tissue donation rules, after an attempt to donate the eyes and tissue of Gates-Dee’s son, Liam, was rejected following his death in 2022, due to his “homosexual status.” MediaSmarts with consultant Sarah Cann of PAA Advisory, communicated with Carney on March 11. The organization is seeking funding in support of its mandate to increase Canadian’s digital literacy, according to the registry.
•Of the current Carney cabinet, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne (assumed current role on March 14. Previously Innovation minister from January 2021) appears in the greatest number of communication reports from January, 2024, to March 19, 2025. Champagne is listed in 205 communication reports in that time frame, followed by Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland (finance minister until Dec. 15, 2024), with 157.